The present invention relates generally to the field of electronic publication and more specifically to the electronic publication of data and analysis procedures by which to analyze the data.
Scientific research often involves performing experiments, collecting data and analyzing the data. Simply studying the analysis often enables the formation of conclusions based upon the scientific research. However, further analysis using a slightly modified analysis methodology can often yield additional useful information.
Many vendors offer software applications that enable analysis to be performed upon data sets. Provided the data set is retained, a modified analysis can be performed to address any deficiencies in the initial analysis. When a software application is used to perform data analysis, modifying the analysis requires the data, the analysis, the software application that generated the analysis and a significant amount of processing power. This difficultly is particularly apparent when the analysis is performed in a first location and a person desiring to review and modify the analysis is located in a remote location. The large size of the data sets also presents a barrier to easily transmitting them using conventional methods, i.e., email.
Flow cytometry is the science of measuring properties of live cells as the cells pass in a single file stream through a measuring apparatus. The data generated by flow cytometry is typically formatted in accordance with the Flow Cytometry Standard (FCS), which enables analysis of the data using software applications such as FCS Express provided by De Novo Software LLC of Los Angeles, Calif. Analysis that can be performed using such software involves the generation of one dimensional and two dimensional plots. In addition to plots, the software enables the generation of plot overlays and gates, which are used to generate statistics. The analysis strategy and results derived from it are stored in an electronic document referred to as a layout file. Layout files can also optionally contain the raw data used to generate the results.
A person wishing to manipulate analysis contained within a layout file typically requires a copy of the software application that generated the layout file. Analysis software applications such as FCS Express provide the ability to generate reports that are readable using commonly available software applications to enable the distribution of analysis to people that do not possess the software required to review a layout file. The reports are typically in a file format that enables the representation of graphical information. Examples of such file formats include PowerPoint files readable using Microsoft Office Powerpoint distributed by Microsoft Corporation of Redmond, Wash. and/or PDF files readable using Adobe Reader distributed by Adobe Systems Incorporated of San Jose, Calif. A disadvantage of such reports is that the reports do not enable modification of the analysis, because they do not contain the data underlying the analysis.
The adoption of flow cytometry in medical applications has prompted the development of large flow cytometry laboratories which perform analysis on hundreds of samples a day. A doctor receiving an analysis report from such a laboratory must contact the laboratory directly to request any modifications to the analysis. The communication is often conducted via telephone and/or handwritten comments on a print out of an analysis report. Upon receipt of the physician's instructions, the laboratory must then locate the layout file corresponding to the original report and generate another report. If the laboratory has not retained the layout file, then the original sample must be located and the analysis recreated from the raw data. In many instances, the laboratory's interpretation of the physician's telephone or facsimile instructions is incorrect and the analysis must be repeated again.